Player Profile: Kyle Seager

Kyle Seager has quietly been one of the most consistent hitters in the Mariners’ lineup the past four seasons. Is he on the verge of a breakout year in 2016?

It’s hard to yearn for a “breakout year” from a guy who has averaged 23 home runs, 81 RBIs, 33 doubles, and a solid .263/.329/.438 slash the past four seasons, but if there’s ever a time in Seager’s career to rewrite his personal record book, it would seem like 2016 is it.

Kyle Seager turned 28 last November and is entering his fifth full season as the starting third baseman for the Mariners. He’s been remarkably consistent since he took over the hot corner in Seattle. In fact, his offensive numbers improved each year since he earned full-time employment until last season, when they seemed to plateau.

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Kyle Seager played 155 games in 2012, his first year as a starter. That year his OPS+ (Baseball Reference’s stat that factors in a player’s overall offensive effectiveness adjusted to his home ballpark) was 108—good but not great. In 2013, Seager played in 160 games and his OPS+ rose to 118. In 2014, Seager made the All-Star team, played in 159 games, and posted the highest OPS+ of his career—126. Last year, while playing in 161 games, Seager’s OPS+ returned to 2013 levels—118.

It’s easy to pencil Kyle Seager in for another ho-hum .260/.330/.430 season with 20 to 25 homers and an OPS+ near 120. But this is a guy in the prime of his career, with more batting order protection than ever and at least a few hitters who can actually get on base ahead of him.

Last season, Seager posted a career-high 37 doubles and just eclipsed his previous career-high in home runs by one with 26. He also struck out far fewer times than he did in 2014 (98 in 2015, 118 in 2014). Even though a few of his numbers fell last season compared to 2014, he still set career highs and improved in some areas. He’s never going to be a .300 hitter, but this could be the year he flirts with 30 home runs and marches his slugging percentage near the .500 range with a few more improvements.

Kyle Seager won’t single-handedly put the Mariners back in the playoffs this year, but his solid defense and his consistent, unexciting batting numbers contribute much to the team overall. If this is the year he “breaks out,” the Mariners lineup will look like Murderer’s Row.

Next: Player Profile: Felix Hernandez

There are many moving pieces and unknowns for this team ahead of Opening Day, but we can count on Kyle Seager to at least play good defense at third base and post his usual offensive numbers and reasonably hope for upside this season.